Zettelkasten Proficiency Levels
Not sure what to focus on next in your Zettelkasten? CIFRZ offers a staged path from collection to synthesis to publication.
The ‘Common International Framework of Reference for Zettelkasten’ (CIFRZ), a guideline used to describe the achievements of Zettelkasten learners across Europe and increasingly in other countries, is a framework for learning, teaching and assessment.
The six reference levels (A1, A2, B1, B2, C1 and C2) are set to become an internationally recognized standard for grading individuals’ Zettelkasten proficiency:
- A1 - You’re learning what makes a note useful. You may be taking many notes—quotes, thoughts, article summaries—but they mostly sit side by side. You might feel unsure about how to link or use them, but you’re experimenting. The system feels bigger than you right now—and that’s okay.
- A2 - You’re beginning to transform your input into something of your own. You rewrite, summarize, and rephrase instead of copy-pasting. You notice when notes connect—and start acting on that. Patterns are still emerging slowly, and some habits are fragile, but you’re gaining agency over your notes.
- B1 - You begin to link your notes intentionally. You cluster ideas and start forming patterns. You’re curious about structures—yours or others’. You make first attempts to write from notes, even if the outcomes feel rough or exploratory.
- B2 - You’ve developed reliable habits: your notes talk to each other, structure emerges, and you can write short pieces based on your network. You’re not just thinking in the Zettelkasten—you’re starting to think with it. Writing is no longer separate from note-taking; the two begin to merge.
- C1 - You use your Zettelkasten to engage with the world: through writing, conversation, teaching, or public discourse. You contribute not only by producing polished work, but by modeling a way of thinking in progress. You reflect on how your system evolves—and how it shapes the person you are becoming.
- C2 - You’ve developed a durable relationship with your ideas, your questions, and your voice. You shape insight at a structural level—within your own work, but also in the communities, disciplines, or domains you care about. You can zoom in and out—handling details without losing sight of the big picture. Your system helps you spot what’s missing, not just what’s next.
CIFRZ Proficiency Levels Map
The CIFRZ Proficiency Levels Map is a high-level conceptual map that visualizes how users move through the six CIFRZ levels (A1 to C2), not as a strict ladder, but as a dynamic landscape of skill, confidence, and reflection.
The core design principles of this map are:
- Non-linearity: Movement is not always upward.
- Fluid identity: Users may dwell in different levels depending on the domain or phase.
- Layered growth: Progress often involves revisiting earlier habits at a deeper level.
- Support loops: Learning, teaching, reflection, and contribution reinforce one another.
When viewing the map, imagine a terraced mountain landscape rather than a ladder. Each level is a plateau, connected by paths and scenic loops that lead back to earlier viewpoints. Forking trails offer different routes, and some users may choose to camp for longer at a level that suits them.
The key message of this map is:
You are not on a linear path. You are not behind. Wherever you stand, there is something worth crossing toward—and something worth returning to.
How are the 12 principles related to the CiFRZ levels (A1 to C2)?
I think they can be seen as developmental signposts along the CiFRZ levels, representing an increasing level of sophistication, reflection and intentionality in the use of a Zettelkasten. Here’s how they might relate to the levels:
The 12 Principles For Using Zettelkasten along CIFRZ levels
Numbers 1 to 5 show how general users focus on specific principles in the Obsidian forum. Interestingly, levels C1 and C2 do not reference any new principles. However, they offer a different perspective on existing ones.